Biology at Northland College

Northland College's biology graduates earn roughly $11,000 less than the typical Wisconsin biology graduate and $8,000 below the national average—placing this program in the bottom 10% both statewide and nationally. While the debt load of $26,500 isn't dramatically high, it still exceeds first-year earnings, creating an immediate financial strain that competitors like UW-Oshkosh ($38,530 earnings) avoid despite similar debt levels.

The gap becomes starker when you look at top-performing Wisconsin programs: Edgewood College biology graduates earn more than double what Northland's do. Even accounting for the small sample size (which means these numbers could shift), the pattern suggests Northland's biology program isn't positioning students for the same career outcomes available elsewhere in the state. For a family weighing options, that $11,000 annual difference compounds quickly—representing potentially $40,000+ in lost earnings over just the first four years of a career.

The practical reality: unless your child has compelling non-financial reasons to attend Northland specifically, Wisconsin offers multiple biology programs with significantly stronger earnings outcomes at comparable or lower costs. The debt-to-earnings ratio here means your child would owe more than they earn in their first year, a tough starting position for launching a career in the sciences.